A Quest to be Noticed
by Clarinetgirl3929
Summary: As the younger sister of Iris, the current Unova League champion, 10-year-old Emily is often overshadowed by her sister's fame. After a tragic accident takes her parent's lives, Emily is sent to live in Aspertia City where she departs on a journey to prove herself while encountering new people and experiences along the way. Rated T because I'm paranoid.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Yay, new story (and 1****st**** Pokémon story!) I've had this idea in my head for months, but I never got the chance to write it down on paper. I've looked forward to writing it for so long and I'm proud of how this 1****st**** chapter turned out. Without further ado, I present "A Quest to be Noticed" Enjoy! :D –ClarinetGirl3929 **

**Disclaimer: Pokémon is property of Nintendo; therefore I unfortunately do not own anything except for my OC's and the plot. **

"_Champion Iris defeats yet another challenger with her trusted partner Haxorus! Not only is she the youngest champion at only fifteen years old, but-._" Emily turned off the TV, interrupting the announcer's description of her sister. She sighed and leaned back against the pillows on the dusty cot she had slept on for the past two months. It was days like these that the ten-year-old missed her parents more than anything else in the world- Her parents, who spent time with her, her parents, who loved both her and Iris equally, her parents, whose lives had been taken in the blaze that forever changed Emily's life.

Just two months ago Emily had lived with her parents and Iris in a large house on the outskirts of Opelucid City. Her whole family was happy. Now she lived in the dusty guest room of her Grandfather's home in the middle of Opelucid City. Her grandfather Drayden was the mayor of the city and the current leader of the Opelucid Pokémon gym, which caused him to be extremely busy all the time leaving Emily alone most of the time. Drayden was also one of the top dragon pokemon masters in Unova, along with everyone else on her dad's side of the family, except for one person: Emily. Emily had loved dragons until that fateful night two months ago. A dragon had caused all of it-the fire, her parents deaths, Iris's separation from her younger sister, and the destruction of Emily's life. If her father hadn't agreed to attempt to train the rogue Salamence, everything would be perfectly normal, because contrary

to the opinion of the press who believed that the fire had been caused by an electrical malfunction, Emily knew the truth. She was the only survivor, for Iris had been battling at the time and wasn't home. Emily decided after the fact that it would be easier to just pass the tragedy off as a freak fire, rather than for her to tell the whole story of the attack. As she thought about it, the night began to play back in her mind before she could stop it.

_Her father had just reached the point in his career as a dragon master where in his opinion; he could handle even the most ill-tempered of dragons. That idea had led him to take in an abused Salamence that he tried to calm and train. After about two weeks of resisting his attempts, Salamence decided it'd had enough. That night after everyone had fallen asleep, it attacked. The dragon took all of its anger out on the house, unleashing bursts of flames from its mouth, decimating the entire property. Her parents had been trapped in their bedroom by the flames while Emily had just barely escaped through her bedroom window. By the time emergency help arrived Salamence had flown away and Emily sat alone in the grass crying for her parents, while watching her home burn right before her eyes. From that day on, Emily had a sworn hatred for Dragon Pokémon, and her former dreams of being a dragon master disappeared in the flames, with her old life._

The feeling of tears rolling down her cheeks pulled Emily out of her tragic flashback. She reached for a tissue from her bedside table and her eyes fell on the framed picture of her family from three years ago. They stared at her, smiling, as though sadness didn't exist. Her father: tall, tan, and handsome, with short brown hair slightly flecked with grey, and sparkling blue eyes. Her mother: a beautiful caramel-skinned woman with dark brown eyes, and curly violet hair that reached down to her waist. Between them stood twelve-year-old Iris, who was the spitting image of her mother. They looked like the perfect until you noticed the smaller girl holding Iris's hand. Emily stuck out of every family portrait. She looked nothing like the rest of her family with her pale skin, hazel eyes, and dark brown hair. Many people thought she had been adopted, or at times people thought she was just a friend of Iris's_. Iris..._ The girl who had abandoned her sister after their parent's death, and had gone off to protect her title and never looked back. To others, Emily could never be a good as her. They told her when they found out that the two girls were sisters, "You'll never be as good as Iris," or "Iris is one of a kind." Emily got those comments all the time, and while they did hurt, she had gotten used to them. The only people who cared about her were her family, and her family was gone.

"Emily!" Drayden called from downstairs, "Come down here for a minute; I need to talk to you!" Emily took one last look at the picture before heading downstairs.

* * *

As soon as she entered the kitchen, Emily immediately knew what her grandfather wanted. As a mayor, gym leader, and old man, Drayden was kept busy by his duties and didn't have much time for his granddaughter, as much as he did love her. She knew that her was looking to find an old friend of her parents who would be willing to take her in, and Emily could tell that that he had found one.

Drayden sat at the kitchen table reading the paper, and looked up when Emily entered.

"Have a seat Emily," he said, gesturing to a chair across from him. Emily sat down, pretending that she had no idea what he wanted to tell her. "As you know, I've been overwhelmed with the plethora of gym challengers lately and I haven't had much time to spend with you. He paused. "This is difficult for me to tell you, but…"

It's okay, Grandpa; go on"

He sighed, "I love you Emily, but I feel you need to live closer to people your own age." He cleared his throat. "I talked to one of my friends in Aspertia City, and she said she'd be happy to take care of you; her name is Maria and she lives with her ten-year-old granddaughter, Grace in a friendly neighborhood with more children in it than Opelucid City. His voice took on a more apologetic tone," I'm not trying to send you away; I just think it will be better for you to grow up with other children.

"Don't feel bad Grandpa, really, I'm okay with it." She stood up, "I'll go pack now." Drayden gave his granddaughter a small smile before standing up and embracing her. Emily returned the hug; it felt good to know that maybe there were people in the world who cared about her.

"Your train leaves tomorrow morning at eight; for the rest of the day you can pack and say goodbye to your friends. I have some important things to do today, but I'll be back for dinner tonight," Drayden said after he released Emily.

"Thank you Grandpa," Emily said, before heading upstairs to pack. "I'll see you this evening."

* * *

Back in her room, Emily couldn't decide how she felt about moving. It was bittersweet. She would miss Opelucid City and North Eastern Unova where she had grown up, but it might be nice to have friends and to live with a girl her age. It would almost be like having a sister! The thought of having a family again brought a smile to her face as she packed her suitcase. Excitement bubbled up in her like a spring, and she couldn't wait to leave.

* * *

Emily's packing didn't take long, for she had few possessions to take with her. She dragged her suitcase down the stairs and placed it by the door before going out in pursuit of her only friend in the town. Opelucid City wasn't home to many younger kids; there were some teenagers, but no kids. As a result, Emily really didn't have any friends. Growing up, her best friends had been her family and their Pokémon. Emily had made one friend since moving in with her grandfather, though. An eight-year-old boy named Luke. She knew she would miss him. The two children had similar backgrounds and were very different from other children. Neither of them had parents, but unlike Emily, Luke didn't have any family. He lived on the street, or anywhere else within the city limits where he could find shelter. However, unlike most kids of his age, Luke was resourceful and able to survive just fine on his own. He refused to be sent to an orphanage, and he enjoyed living on his own. Emily envied him for that. He was so brave and strong. She knew that she couldn't survive on the streets as Luke had. Luke had been on his own since he was six, when his father abandoned him after three years of abusing him. His mother had died of an illness when Luke was three, and his mother's death had plunged his father into a state of madness, leading him to blame the boy for her death. His father adopted another boy who was slightly older than Luke and treated him like a king, while abusing his only son. After three years, he had grown tired of dealing with Luke, and he left him on the street to die. Luke, however, had survived and moved on, leaving his tortured past behind him.

Emily sighed, wishing that she could forget the past. If only she could go on living a happy life without her parents. However, the sadness hung over her like a relentless rain cloud, never to let up. She shook off the feeling, knowing that right now being sad wouldn't do her any good, and she continued he search for Luke. She entered the small park in the middle of the city; there he was, lying on the grass staring up at the clouds, with his partner Vulpix curled up next to him. The green haired boy sat up when he heard Emily's footsteps approaching.

"Hey Emily!" He called happily, "what's up?" He paused, taking note of Emily's troubled expression. Emily sat down on the grass beside him.

"What's the matter?" Luke asked, his amber eyes filling with concern. Emily sighed, "Luke, I'm moving" Luke's jaw dropped.

"Wh-Why!?" He sputtered. "Where!?

"Aspertia City," Emily answered, "Grandpa has a friend there who is willing to take care of me because he's always got his hands full, and he doesn't have the time to take care of me."

"So he just decided to send you away?"

"Well, he didn't really give me a choice, but I actually think it's a good idea." Luke stared down at the grass and began to pick at it with his fingers.

"So you're just… leaving… forever?

"I'll visit as much as I can," she put her arm comfortingly around Luke's shoulders, "I promise." Luke looked up into Emily's eyes.

"Pinky Promise?" He asked innocently, holding up his right pinky. Emily laughed, sometimes she forgot that Luke was only little boy, but behavior like this always reminded her that behind the brave survivor was the innocent little boy personality.

"Pinky Promise," she said, linking her pinky with his. Luke smiled.

"Thank you, Emily," he whispered, "for being my friend." His eyes began to water, "I'm going to miss you."

"Don't cry, Luke," Emily said giving the boy a hug, "after all, goodbyes aren't the end; they just mean I'll miss you until we meet again. Luke sniffed and rubbed his eyes.

"So when do you leave?"

"My train leaves at eight tomorrow morning."

"Oh," Luke said softly, sounding deflated, "I guess that doesn't give us much time to say goodbye tomorrow."

"That's why I came today, to say goodbye, but if you want… I need to go back home soon, so if you wanted to walk with me you could."

"Okay, but can we take the long way around the whole city?"

"Sure, I'd like to take one last look at everything before I leave." Emily took Luke's hand and pulled him to his feet, and together the two friends walked back into the heart of Opelucid City.

**A/N: So, Emily's life seems to be looking up. Will it remain that way once she arrives. Find out in the next chapter (Which I promise to not procrastinate on) See you then! –Clarinetgirl3929**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Enjoy Chapter 2! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Pokémon franchise. All rights go to Nintendo. **

After saying goodbye to Luke, Emily entered grandfather's house where she found Drayden fixing dinner. He looked up from the stove when he heard his granddaughter come in.

"There you are, Emily," he said. "I was beginning to wonder what was taking you so long."

"I was just saying goodbye to the city," she answered, desperately trying to keep the sadness from creeping into her voice. While she had been eager to leave before, her walk through the city and her talk with Luke had awakened several fond memories of her life in Opelucid City, making her realize that she would miss her old life here.

"Don't worry, Emily," Drayden said, leaving the bubbling pot on the stove to boil, and walking over to embrace the girl. "It's only a temporary arrangement." He released Emily from the hug. "As soon as I get some of the work I need to finish done, and the constant flow of challengers calms down a bit, I'll send for you to come home." A smile crossed Emily's face; she had thought this was a permanent move. Knowing that she would return to live here filled her with excitement.

"Oh!" Drayden exclaimed. "That reminds me!" He picked up a small wrapped box from the kitchen table and gave it to Emily. "I got you someone to keep you company while you're away." Emily tore the paper off the box and carefully opened it. Inside, she saw a red and white ball about the size of her hand. She knew what it was immediately: a Poké Ball. She reached inside and closed her fingers around it and took it out of the box.

Drayden smiled, "It's about time for you to receive your first Pokémon, and begin your journey to become a dragon master and carry on the family tradition. At the words "become a dragon master" Emily froze, staring at the ball in her hand, almost dropping it. What she held in her hand had to be a dragon Pokémon. _I hate dragons; I don't want to train them, _She thought_. Grandpa, why would you give me a dragon?_ Then it hit her; only Emily knew she hated dragons, everyone else thought she wanted to train them. She looked at her grandfather; his face glowed with pride. Emily couldn't bring herself to tell him she didn't want or appreciate his gift.

"Thank you, Grandpa," she told him, trying to make her smile look as genuine as possible.

"You're welcome; I knew you love it." He turned back to the stove. "Why don't you go outside and introduce yourself to your new partner while I finish dinner? He suggested.

"Sure, th-that sounds like a great idea."

"Good, now you two enjoy yourselves."

Emily stepped outside onto the patio. The evening was cool and breezy, but still pleasant all the same. It was beginning to grow dark, but the sun was still visible over the line of trees behind the house. Emily sighed and flopped down into one of the plastic patio chairs, setting the Poké Ball on the table. She drew her attention away from the ball and relaxed, watching the setting sun. This worked, until the Pokémon inside decided it wanted out. The ball began to rock back and forth, almost rolling off the table. Emily jumped out of the chair and retreated to the opposite side of the patio. The ball opened with a bright flash of light, revealing a small, green, lizard-like creature, with two tusks protruding from both sides of its mouth.

"Hey!" Emily protested. "You're not supposed to escape!" The little dragon didn't seen to care.

"Axew," it chirped happily, staring at its new trainer. It was an axew; the same Pokémon Iris had started with. It was a dragon, but it was small cute looking dragon. Maybe, she could get over her fear of dragons and train it.

"No," Emily told herself quietly. "Even if it's small now, it will grow into a killing machine sooner or later." To Emily's confusion, Axew looked away, appearing hurt by Emily's comment. _Did it hear and understand me? _She thought. Feeling bad about hurting its feelings, Emily slowly and cautiously approached it, holding her arm out in front of her.

"H-hello," she whispered, her voice shaking, "I-I'm Emily." She paused, noticing that the small Pokémon also wanted an apology. "I'm sorry about what I said; maybe you aren't like others. She stopped to clear her throat. "Could we be… friends?" Axew nodded eagerly, and held up its arms, indicating that it wanted to be picked up. _He's like a little baby,_ Emily thought to herself, while bending over to pick Axew up off the table. His skin was surprisingly smooth, as Emily had expected it to be rough and scaly. Axew buried his head in Emily's shoulder. Emily grinned to herself; perhaps she could be a dragon master after all. She already loved Axew; maybe he was all she needed to restore her faith in dragons.

"Emily!" Drayden appeared at the doorway. "Time to come in for dinner." Emily nodded.

"Axew, return," She said, pushing the button on the Poké Ball. It opened, and Axew was pulled back into the ball, and it closed with a click. "I'll play with you later," Emily promised, before following her grandfather back inside.

* * *

After dinner, Emily excused herself and ran upstairs to let Axew out. She flung open her bedroom door, and was surprised to find that Axew was sitting on her bed, waiting for her. The open Poké Ball lay on the bedside table where she'd left it before dinner.

"Axew," she laughed. "What am I going to do with you?" She sighed "Oh well; we'll work on learning how to stay in the ball later." She picked up Axew, only to discover yet another gift from her Grandfather. Emily unwrapped the package. It was a book. Emily read the title aloud to Axew, "A Dragon Master's Field Guide." She flipped through the brittle pages; everything she would ever need to know about dragon Pokémon was in between the pages of the dusty book. She wondered if Iris had the same book. After skimming through some of the headed sections, Emily found what she had been searching for: Axew's page. She set the book down on the bed, so that Axew could see the picture. Emily read the page aloud, and was reminded of her childhood. Emily had always loved to read more than anything else, and she always read about dragons, and legends about dragons. Since the fire, however, Emily hadn't even read or even touched a dragon book. To her, it felt like things were beginning to find their way back to normality, and it was all because of Grandpa and Axew. Her mind had been changed; she was going to chase her old dream of being a dragon master. She would train Axew while she was in Aspertia. When she came back to Opelucid she would begin her journey. One day, she would even beat Iris. She had to show everybody she was just as good as her sister.

**A/N: This chapter was going to be longer, but I decided to split it in half, so I wouldn't be switching ideas too much, and this chapter wrapped up nicely. It's shorter and probably not as good as the last chapter, but I promise, that either tomorrow or Saturday I will post chapter 3. I'll see you then. –Clarinetgirl3929 **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Chapter 3, in record time! :) As usual, I own nothing. Enjoy! **

Emily awoke early the next morning, once again excited about leaving. By the time her grandfather came to wake her, she was already dressed. Normally, she simply wore shorts and t-shirts, but not wanting to come off to Maria as sloppy and lazy, she went with a light blue sundress, even though she hated dresses. First impressions were everything, after all.

"How do I look?" She asked Axew when she finished.

"Axew!" Emily laughed.

"Thanks, Axew."

"Emily," Drayden called. "Are you about ready?"

"Yes," Emily answered, stuffing the dragon field guide in her backpack. "I'm ready." She recalled Axew to its Poké Ball; it would be easier to travel with the rambunctious dragon safely contained in the ball. "You can come out when we get there." She promised, before slipping the Poké Ball in her backpack, along with the book.

Drayden met her at the door and took her suitcase out to the car, while Emily packed a lunch box of food to eat on the train. On her way outside, Emily paused in the front hall. "Goodbye, old home," she sighed. "I guess I'll be back someday." _Very soon, I hope._

After taking on last look at the exterior of the house, Emily climbed into the passenger seat of her grandfather's car. Drayden started the car and backed out of the driveway. Emily stared out the window, watching Opelucid city fly by, in a jumble of blurred buildings. She smiled, remembering the fond memories of the city. Now it was time to depart on a new journey, and Emily was ready to leave.

They pulled into the train station at seven forty-five. Drayden handed Emily her ticket, and they walked to the platform her train would be departing from. She couldn't help but feel slightly excited when she saw the train. She felt so grown up, leaving on a train by herself at only ten years old.

"Emily," Drayden said, snapping Emily out of her fantasy. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you going to be alright by yourself?"

"Yes, Grandpa," she answered, her voice brimming with the confidence she felt. "I can take care of myself." He chuckled.

Don't get too used to being on your own; as soon as you leave the train, you'll be under adult supervision again."

"Is Maria coming to pick me up?" Emily asked.

"No," Drayden answered. "She and Grace will be preparing the house for your arrival, and they will welcome you at home, however, their butler Sebastian will meet you at the station. Drayden's answer left many questions in Emily's mind. Why wouldn't her new guardian come meet her personally? Why would they send the butler? Why were they cleaning the house? Isn't that the butler 's job? Did they not want to meet her? She didn't feel as "on top of the world," as she had moments ago. Now she felt nervous and insecure, worrying that they wouldn't like her. Drayden checked his watch.

"It's about time for you to board, Emily," he said. Emily turned around and hugged him.

"Thank you, Grandpa," she whispered into his shirt. "For everything you've done for me." Drayden returned the hug.

"I'll miss you too, Emily."

"I love you, Grandpa," Emily whispered, before releasing the embrace. She grabbed her suitcase and stepped onto the train.

"Have a safe trip!" Drayden called after her.

"I will!" She called back. She found an empty window seat, and lifted her luggage into the overhead compartment as the train began to move. She looked out the window, scanning the crowd for her grandfather. She caught his eye and waved. He waved back. Emily watched the station grow smaller and smaller in the distance as the train gathered speed. Once it was completely out of sight, Emily pulled the dragon book from her backpack and began reading.

* * *

"_We are now arriving in Aspertia station, passengers, please collect all your personal items before departing the train."_ Emily jumped out of her doze. She hadn't realized she'd fallen asleep. The conductor's announcement had nearly given her a heart attack. Once she'd recovered from her scare, Emily grabbed her luggage and left the train.

The station was a zoo. People were everywhere. Emily couldn't see the station's exit through the sea of people. She had no idea how she was going to find the butler. She pushed through a crowd of people, ignoring their complaints and protests, looking for a place to rest and wait for the confusion to dissipate. She waited on a metal bench watching the people mill around the station. Finally, after about a half an hour's wait, Emily saw a dark haired man holding up a sign with her name on it. She stood up and ran toward him, feeling relieved that she found the butler.

"Are you Emily, Maria's new tenant?" He asked in a thick English accent, indicating that he wasn't from Unova. _Tenant,_ Emily thought. _I thought I was more like a new family member, not just someone renting a room._

"Yes," she answered, trying not to sound as uncertain as she felt. "I suppose you must be Sebastian then?"

"Yes, indeed." He picked up Emily's bag. "Come with me, Miss Emily; your new home awaits." She followed him out to the parking lot, where Sebastian loaded her suitcase in the trunk of a silver Sedan. He opened the passenger door for her, before climbing into the driver's seat.

"So what are Maria and Grace like?" Emily asked, once they left the parking lot.

"The mistresses?" Emily nodded.

"Are they pleasant to be around?"

"Um… Yes, um… very kind," Sebastian answered nervously, as though he were trying to avoid truthfully answering her question. "I'm sure you'll… love living with them. His answer filled Emily with a sense of dread. Drayden had made them seem like kind people, but it seemed that to Sebastian, they were just spoiled rich people. Maybe they didn't really care about her? Maybe to them she was just a tenant? Her thoughts were cut off by Sebastian's voice.

"Madame gave me a list of house rules that she wishes for you to abide by. _House rules?_ Emily thought. _What happened to having fun? _

"What kind of rules, Sebastian?" Emily asked.

"Here," Sebastian pulled a sheet of paper covered in neat, perfect handwriting out of his suit pocket, "I think this will answer your questions." He handed it to her. She began to read silently:

_Maria's House Rules:_

_NO Running._

_The 2__nd__ floor study is off-limits to you._

_NO Pokémon Inside._

_Sloppy and Unladylike Clothing Will NOT Be Acceptable (Dresses Must Be Worn At All Times._

_Food Should Only Be Consumed In the Dining Room._

_NO Storing food In Your Room._

_NO Snacking Between Meals._

_Do NOT Touch ANY Of the Antique Décor in the House._

_Be Polite and Respectful At All Times._

_You Will Refer to Me Only As Aunt Maria._

Emily just stared at the list of rules she was holding. This wasn't going to be fun and exciting. This was going to be a disastrous experience. Sebastian pulled into long driveway. All Emily could do was gape at the house like an idiot. The beautiful white stone mansion, surrounded by a bright green lawn just screamed rich spoiled people. Her grandfather's red brick two-story house couldn't ever hope to compare. Sebastian opened her door, her suitcase in hand. Emily climbed out and followed him up the sidewalk. Sebastian raised a gloved fist and knocked on the door. The door opened and Emily got her first look at Grace. Grace had waist length blond hair, and bright blue eyes. She wore a plain, simple white dress. She glanced at Emily and a scowl briefly crossed her face, almost to quickly to see.

"Grandmother!" She called. "They're here!" An old woman, who appeared to be even older that Drayden, walked down the stairs. She gave Emily a sickeningly sweet, fake smile.

"Hello, dear! She said. "It's so nice to finally meet you." She shook Emily's hand.

"Hello… Aunt Maria," Emily whispered.

"Ah, you read my note," Maria said, sounding pleased. "You're such a smart girl." Emily could tell that this whole thing was an act. She knew that Maria didn't really trust her. As for Grace, Emily could tell Grace wasn't going to want to be her sister.

"…Sebastian will show you to your room." Emily realized with a start that Maria had still been talking to her. She smiled and nodded, pretending that she had been listening. Then she followed Sebastian up to the second floor. Her bedroom was slightly smaller than her room in her parents' house, but I seemed cozy enough. Sebastian placed her suitcase on a table in the corner of her room. Emily surveyed the rest of the room. A twin-sized bed was pushed against the wall, a silk nightgown spread neatly over the blankets. She had a decent sized desk tucked in a small alcove next to the closet, and two empty bookshelves next to the window. Sebastian's opened the walk in closet and began to unpack her clothes. Looking at the contents of her suitcase he told her:

"You might want to tell Madame that you only brought two dresses, and you might want to hide all your T-shirts. He finished hanging up the clothes and started to leave. "Dinner will be in one hour." He said, pulling the door open. "You have until then to relax." He closed the door behind him. Emily sighed, wishing she were back in Opelucid. Nobody there was a strict and rich as they were in this neighborhood. She wanted to leave. Maria and Grace didn't like her. She missed Luke and her grandfather. She wanted to let Axew out, but if she did, Maria would distrust her even more. This was turning into a nightmare.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Aspertia Station, a small boy crept out from behind a pile of stacked crates. The station was dark, as all the trains had arrived. All the stationmasters had gone home. The boy was alone. He cradled the russet-colored Pokémon to his chest as her snuck out of the station, in search of his friend.

**A/N: Okay, it should be really obvious who the boy at the end is, so I'm not going to call that a cliffhanger. I thought this chapter was better than the last. The next one should come in a couple of weeks after marching band camp, (which starts Monday) is over. I love writing this story to the point where I think I might be obsessed with it. Anyway, I'll be back soon, I hope you enjoyed. **

**-Clarinetgirl3929**


End file.
